DC Chronicles Universe - Batman Beyond
by DragoniteGamer
Summary: Set in the DC Chronicles Universe. In the year 2228, Bruce Wayne gave up being Batman forever. But in 2231, his successor, Terry McGinnis, was chosen as the new Batman! One year after he becomes Batman, Terry is recruited to join the future Justice League, but there's a traitor within the team... can Terry juggle being Batman, being a Justice Leaguer, and being a teenager?
1. Chapter 1

**Batman Beyond**

**Chapter One**

It was a dark night in Neo-Gotham. The year was 2228, and a group of thugs were robbing a bank downtown. The thugs, three of them, all held a gun in their hand, as they were piling money into their bags.

"Hurry!" One of the thugs said, his voice shaking. "He could show up any minute!"

The thugs continued filling their bags until they were satisfied with their earnings, and began to head out. As they did, a security guard was walking into the room, shining his flashlight. He shined it on the thugs, and said, "Hey! Stop where you are!"

"Crap," The second thug grunted. "Let's scram!"

The guard chased the guards down a hall. He grabbed one of their shoulders, causing the thug to turn around and point his gun at the guard's head.

"Let go."

The guard attacked the thug. The two fell to the ground, punching furiously in the air.

"Come on, Justin, hurry up!" The first guard barked. "Finish him off!"

Just then, a shadowy figure crashed through the window above, landing on top of the second thug. He stepped out of the darkness, to reveal a black suit with a high-tec belt and a big, red bat symbol on his chest. The first one attempted to run, but the figure grabbed him by the throat and threw him into the wall. The first thug groaned, struggling to his feet. "Batman…"

The third thug managed to get the upper hand, choking the guard. Batman picked up the gun and held one finger on the trigger.

"Let go of the guard or I'll shoot," Batman demanded.

For a brief second, the thug almost let go, letting the guard get some air in his lungs. But the thug just smirked. "You won't do it. You're bluffing."

Batman's glare darkened. "Try me."

The thug stared into Batman's eyes, not loosening his grip on the guard. The guard was beginning to lose consciousness, gasping for air. And suddenly, before Batman could realize it, he pulled the trigger, and the third thug was dead. The other two thugs escaped, no money in hand.

"Batman, thank you," The guard stuttered. "You saved my life." He was still gasping for air as he ran off into the night.

Batman stared down on the dead thug, dropping the gun out of his hand. He slowly realized that he had once vowed to never use a gun...

He vowed never to use a gun… that night.

"_Mom! Dad!"_

_The shots fired as Thomas and Martha Wayne fell to the floor, dead. Joe Chill howled with laughter as he ran into the night._

_8 year old Bruce Wayne had tears running down his face, staring down on his dead parents._

"_Never will I use a gun…" Bruce stammered. "Never…"_

Batman took his mask off to reveal a much older Bruce Wayne, his hair gray, eyes bloodshot.

"Never again…"

Bruce dropped his cowl, and walked out of the building.

Batman was dead.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

A few years had passed since that fateful night when Batman had died. It was a Friday night, and a group of teens were gathered outside of a movie theater. A motorcycle had just been parked in front of a new Corvette. The biker took his helmet off and placed it on the handle of his bike.

"Terry!" One of the girls in the crowd cried happily, jumping into his arms.

Terry McGinnis smiled. "Dana, good to see you." He gave her a kiss on the cheek as they both stopped hugging.

His girlfriend, Dana Tan, smiled. "I can't believe your parents let you out of the house.

"Me neither." Terry chuckled.

Terry, Dana, and the rest of the teens began having a discussion about something, when a biker gang drove over. The leader, bearing a strong resemblance to the Joker, walked toward the group, and put his hand on Dana's waist.

"How's it going?" He asked with a snicker.

Dana uncomfortably moved to the side.

"Hey, lay off," Terry said angrily. "She's mine."

One of the other clowns, with a jester hat on, laughed. "I don't see your name on her!"

"Can it, gaps," Terry said, pointing at the gap in his teeth. The clown yelped, hiding behind one of the others.

"Easy there, Coe," the Joker-esque clown cooed. "This small fry isn't going to do anything."

"Try me." Terry growled. "Get your hand off my woman!"

The clowns moved forward.

"Look what we got here, J-Man!" A tanned clown said, with no smile. "A toughie."

"I see 'em, Smirk," J-Man, the Joker-like character, replied. "He thinks he can do something to us?"

The girl clown howled with laughter. "All bark, no bite!"

Coe laughed. "Dottie's right!"

J-Man shoved Terry to the ground. "We're the Jokerz, buddy old pal!" He picked up Terry, punching him in the gut. "What're you gonna do?"

Terry punched J-Man square in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. Coe and the 5th Joker, Scab, charged at Terry, who tackled them to the floor. Dottie began swinging on McGinnis, who managed to defeat her. Terry looked over at Smirk, who sat there doing nothing.

"Come at me!" Terry howled.

Smirk simply shook his head. "I won't. But they will."

All of the Jokerz pounced on Terry, beating him senselessly. Terry managed to get up, hopped on his motorcycle, and drove off.

"After him!" J-Man demanded.

The Jokerz hopped on their bikes, riding after them, cackling with laughter.

"Terry, be safe!" Dana called as they drove into the night.

Terry drove down the highway, taking a sharp left turn up a hill. The Jokerz were not far behind, and Terry could hear J-Man and Coe hollering at him.

Terry skidded to a halt outside an old mansion. "Come at me! I can take ya!"

The Jokerz got off their bikes, walking forward. Dottie had a mallet in hand, Smirk cracking his knuckles, Scab snickering.

"Alright, McGinnis," J-Man said. "Play time."

Suddenly, out of the mansion, rushed a black Great Dane, attacking the Jokerz.

"Huh?" Terry asked.

"Be grateful."

Terry turned to see an old man walking out of the mansion, cane in hand. He wore a black jacket over a gray sweater, black pants, and black shoes.

"You'll regret this!" J-Man squealed, getting on his bike. "The Jokerz will get you!"

The old man didn't even wince. "You're nothing close to the Joker. Believe me, I knew him, and you're nothing like him."

The Jokerz rode off into the night. Terry turned to thank the man, but he was halfway inside, his dog close behind.

"Hey, wait up!" Terry ran after him.

"What?" The man snapped, turning.

"Thanks," Terry began, panting. "Y-you saved me."

The man huffed. "They wouldn't have caused severe damage to you in any way, shape, or form."

The man walked inside.

"Sir!"

The man turned again, his eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Um…" Terry stammered. "A-aren't you B-Bruce Wayne?"

The man nodded, petting his dog. "I am."

"Cool." Terry glanced out toward the moon. "Well, it's getting late, but I gotta pee.."

Brue nodded. "Go in the woods."

"I don't want the Jokerz coming after me again, though," Terry pointed out.

Bruce huffed. "Hurry up."

Terry rushed inside. After using the restroom and washing his hands, he walked out past Bruce's grandfather clock, where he noticed a bat sticking out of it.

"What in the…"

Terry pulled on the bat, to find that the clock opened up to another room.

"Woah.." Terry was speechless. Glancing around, he rushed down the staircase.

Terry walked down the long flight of stairs until he reached a dark cavern. Bats flied around, and when Terry stepped further into the cavern, the entire room lit up. He looked around and saw many things; a giant penny, a giant playing card, a giant T-Rex, a puppet with a gun, and a display case featuring many suits. Terry recognized them as Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, and…

"No way.." Terry turned, and saw the Batmobile parked.

"Bruce Wayne was Batman?"

Terry glanced at the original Batsuit, and realized that it had a very similar build that Bruce currently had, except a bit smaller.

"Get out!"

Terry turned to see Bruce standing in the doorway of the cavern, his arms crossed. His dog stood by his side, growling angrily.

"But, Mr. Wayne…" Terry began.

"OUT!" Bruce roared.

Terry had enough. "You know something, Bruce, I'm just SICK of how you're treating me. You don't have to be this way!"

"I didn't have to save you from the Jokerz." Bruce snarled.

"And you DIDN'T have to stop being Batman!" Terry retorted.

"I had to," Bruce screeched. "I broke my code that I would never kill. I broke my vow to never use a gun. I was getting too old for the job! So I quit."

Terry sighed. "But the world.. NEEDS a Batman! I'd be Batman if you asked me to!"

Bruce was about to object, but said nothing. "You'd be Batman?"

Terry nodded.

"The world needs a Batman, eh?"

"Yeah.." Terry said quietly.

Bruce strolled over to the display case to a newer Batsuit, fully black with a red Batman emblem on it's chest.

"How would you like to be Batman?"


End file.
